Ringing in the ears:learn about your options

Ringing in the ears is a symptom of tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition which is sometimes related to hearing loss. But it can have many causes, including exposure to loud noise, ageing, ear infections, and injury. Ringing in the ears is a symptom of tinnitus, and it's a result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells in your ear. Tinnitus can also be experienced as a hissing, roaring, or buzzing sound.

Tinnitus affects about 13% of the UK population. For some people, it can have a severe impact on their daily life, and it can cause anxiety, stress, anger, and sleep problems.

Our brief online tinnitus test can help you understand whether you have tinnitus symptoms (such as ringing in the ears) and/or hearing loss. The two conditions are often experienced at the same time.

What causes ringing in the ears?

There are several causes for ringing in the ears. The most common is exposure to loud noises which damage the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. The ringing sound is the result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells.

Common causes of ringing in the ears:

1. Exposure to loud noise
2. The natural ageing process
3. Infections in the middle ear
4. Emotional distress
5. Diabetes
6. Negative reactions to medicine
7. Head or neck injury
8. Intolerance to noise (hyperacusis)
9. Untreated medical conditions like Ménière’s disease and otitis (ear infection)

Take online tinnitus test

Get relief from ringing in the ears with sound therapy

Sound therapy is a form of tinnitus relief that allows you to listen to therapeutic sounds through your hearing aids in order to balance out the sounds associated with tinnitus.

Sound therapy can be a helpful way to manage tinnitus symptoms. While it can't completely get rid of the ringing, it can mask the tinnitus so that it becomes much less noticeable. This masking process takes place when you begin to focus your attention on other noises besides those associated with tinnitus or ringing in the ears.

Hearing loss and ringing in ears

Many people who experience ringing in the ears also have hearing loss, even if they’re not aware of it. If you’re experiencing any signs or symptoms of tinnitus (such as ringing in the ears), then you might benefit from wearing hearing aids.

80% of those with tinnitus also have hearing loss

Because hearing aids send more sound to your brain, the symptoms of tinnitus may become less troublesome.

And since your hearing aids improve your ability to hear, it becomes easier to focus on other sounds around you. So your focus will be steered away from any tinnitus-related sounds (such as ringing in the ears).

Take online tinnitus test

Sources:

1. Beck D.L. (2012) British Academy of Audiology. Podium presentation.

2. Al-Swiahb, J., & Park, S. N. (2016). Characterization of tinnitus in different age groups: A retrospective review. Noise & health, 18(83), 214–219. https://doi.org/10.4103/1463-1741.189240